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Frontrunner forms ‘Rob Ford Party’

Rob Ford is surveying council candidates to see who would support his policies, with the aim of promoting like-minded individuals in ward races.

John Campbell talks about Rob Ford at Ford's campaign offices after a meeting to discuss a potential alliance. (RENE JOHNSTON / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

By Robyn DoolittleUrban Affairs Reporter

Mon., Sept. 20, 2010

Rob Ford is forming a citywide slate of like-minded candidates to try to win control of city hall.

The Ford team is surveying council contenders across Toronto to gauge their support for the front-runner’s slash-and-save agenda.

Ward by ward, the Ford-friendly candidates will be identified and promoted as part of the campaign brand over the next five weeks.

The strategy marks the first time a mayoral candidate has publicly plugged ideological allies on such a wide scale.

When asked if they were organizing a slate, campaign manager Doug Ford avoided a direct answer.

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“You’ll hear that over the next week or so ... but I can assure you of one thing,” he said. “There’s going to be councillors who support Rob Ford.”

Ryerson University politics professor Neil Thomlinson said it looks as though the campaign team is trying to create a Rob Ford party.

“And it’s obvious why he’s doing it. He knows no one on the current council would work with him,” said Thomlinson.

A public opinion poll released this weekend suggested the election is Ford’s to lose. But his critics predict that even if Ford becomes mayor, he wouldn’t have the support to make the changes he has promised.

The controversial conservative has only a handful of allies on the current council. And a group of left-leaning councillors has threatened to form a shadow government if Ford is elected.

Ford’s team sent an email questionnaire to council candidates last week asking if they support the front-runner’s five priorities: abolishing the vehicle registration tax; abolishing the land transfer tax; reducing office budgets for the mayor and councillors, ending sole-source bidding; and cutting the number of councillors in half.

“If one or more of your policy preference aligns with Rob Ford’s, then we would like to hear back from you to schedule a meeting and discuss particularities,” read the uniform email.

Etobicoke Centre candidate John Campbell, a former chair of the Toronto District School Board, met with Ford’s team on Monday.

He said a Ford campaign official told him that every council hopeful would be surveyed eventually.

“I think he’s trying to figure out who he should support to get in, who will help him fulfill his mandate — and I think that’s reasonable. That’s good strategy and good planning,” said Campbell.

“They aren’t looking to endorse anyone, but they will make known candidates who will support what Rob is trying to do.”

Campbell is behind Ford on everything except cutting the size of council.

At first glance, the strategy seems one step closer to bringing party politics to city hall.

Not that these types of arrangements are uncommon in municipal elections, they just are typically not so overt.

Joe Pantalone attends campaign events for left-wing candidates — and vice versa. The provincial Liberals are working behind the scenes in support of Smitherman.

Ford’s own team has been quietly helping conservative candidates, such as Gus Cusimano, who is taking on Maria Augimeri in York Centre.

Of about a dozen council candidates contacted by the Star, roughly half had received the Ford email.

Thomlinson, chair of Ryerson University’s politics and public administration department, said Ford is playing a risky game.

“People in this city are completely allergic to the notion of parties in municipal politics,” said Thomlinson.

“One of the big reasons why is that they think the party will be controlling of those people. And they feel the same way about slates.

“So if he’s trying to line up what amounts to a Rob Ford party, how much individual representing are those people going to do?”

Despite Ford’s popularity — he currently holds a 24-point lead over second-place Smitherman — Thomlinson isn’t convinced an unknown candidate could ride Ford’s coattails to city hall against an incumbent.

“But if (Ford’s) bandwagon holds until election day . . . a pro-Ford slate could make a difference in those wards where there is no returning councillor.”

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